Truck bed cover

ABSTRACT

The invention is a truck bed cover made from thermoplastic material. The top of the truck bed cover has a relatively smooth appearance. The underside of the bed cover comprises a support structure utilizing at least one “X”-type support. In the preferred embodiment, four “X”-type supports are utilized. A typical bed cover typically weighs less than 75 pounds for greater ease of handling, without loss of structural support strength over fiberglass covers from loads placed on the top of the bed cover.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] This invention relates to covers for truck beds and, moreparticularly, to hard covers for truck beds.

[0003] 2. Related Art

[0004] Pickup trucks such as the Ford F-150 truck, and the like have acabin portion for seating passengers and a bed portion for haulingcargo. The bed portion of a pickup truck is open to the outsideenvironment. Accordingly, any cargo in the bed portion of such a truckis subject to the elements, and is exposed to rain, snow, wind, andsunlight. Because certain cargos should not be subjected to theelements, and because some truck owners prefer to avoid having the bedportion exposed to the elements, the bed portions are covered by bedcovers.

[0005] Bed covers may typically fall within one of two classes: soft bedcovers and hard bed covers. Soft bed covers are made from a fabricmaterial and are snapped to mating snaps placed around the top edge ofthe truck bed. Structural support for soft covers are generally providedby arched ribs placed normal to the sides of the truck. The arched ribsassist in preventing the soft cover from cupping and resultant waterretention.

[0006] The arched ribs do not provide adequate support for any loadother than the soft cover. For example, a person could not stand on thesoft cover without damaging the cover and the underlying ribs. Inaddition, an impression of the arched ribs is visible under the softcover such that a smooth outer appearance is not presented.

[0007] Hard covers refer essentially to fiberglass-type covers. Thesecovers can provide adequate support for other loads. A person can standon a fiberglass cover without damaging the cover. In addition, unlikethe situation for soft covers, no supporting structure is visiblethrough the top of the cover. The fiberglass cover may be curved, as thesoft cover, to prevent water from accumulating thereon.

[0008] The manufacturing process to produce a single fiberglass cover isan extensive one. First, the mold is cleaned. After several uses, themold is both cleaned and polished. Then, a release agent is applied tothe mold. Next, a resin called GELCOAT is sprayed over the releaseagent. This resin need to be cured. After the resin has tacked, a blown,chopped glass-resin mixture is blown with a chopper gun over the GELCOATresin to achieve a layer of approximately 0.09 to 0.13 inches. Then, thechopped glass-resin mixture is rolled down in a process referred to inthe art as “wetting it” to eliminate air bubbles. At this time, anydesired structural supports are inserted like foamboard or specialcardboard or plywood. Then, another coat of chopped glass-resin mixtureis sprayed. This must be then permitted to set with a setting time ofapproximately 15 minutes. While the mixture is still elastic, the coveris then hand trimmed. After trimming, the cover must be permitted to setfor another half hour to an hour. Accordingly, the entire process formaking one cover may take from 45 minutes to 90 minutes, depending onthe size of the cover and the features ordered for the cover. After thecover is produced, the mold is cleaned (and sometimes polished) and theprocess is repeated.

[0009] A fiberglass cover may typically weigh between 100 and 200pounds. This weight may make lifting the cover more difficult. While thetop of the cover has a smooth, pleasing appearance, the underside of thecover does not have a finished appearance. The retail price of afiberglass cover is approximately $700 which is approximately threehundred percent more than the retail cost of a soft cover. Because ofthe manufacturing process, many different materials must be used whichincreases manufacturing costs and environmental objections. In addition,the manufacturing process is very time consuming because of the curingtimes involved.

[0010] Thermoplastic truck bed covers have been utilized in lieu offiberglass cover. However, these single-walled bed covers do not havestructural support adequate to sustain appreciable loads placed on thetop of the cover, such as the load presented by a person standing on thebed cover.

[0011] There is a need in the art to provide a cover that can provideadequate support without displaying an outline of the structural supportthrough the top of the cover.

[0012] There is a need in the art to provide a truck bed cover utilizinga material other than fiberglass to avoid environmental objections.

[0013] There is a need in the art to provide a truck bed covermanufactured using a process that is more efficient than the process ofmanufacturing fiberglass truck covers.

[0014] There is a need in the art to provide a stiff truck bed coverthat is lighter than a fiberglass truck bed cover to make lifting thecover easier.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0015] It is in the view of the above problems that the presentinvention was developed. The invention is a truck bed cover made fromthermoplastic material. The top of the truck bed cover has a relativelysmooth appearance. The underside of the bed cover comprises a supportstructure utilizing “X”-type supports made from a plastic material andunitarily formed, without the use of a separate fastener. In a preferredembodiment, four “X”-type supports are utilized. A typical bed covertypically weighs less than 75 pounds excluding hardware for greater easeof handling, without loss of structural support strength from loadsplaced on the top of the bed cover over fiberglass covers that typicallyweigh between 100 and 200 pounds.

[0016] The truck bed cover is of double-wall construction, with the topof the cover having a relatively smooth appearance, and the underside ofthe cover presenting a smooth surface of structural supports. Both thetop and the underside of the cover may be made from the same material.

[0017] The manufacturing process of the bed cover of the presentinvention is simplified such that the total time to manufacture thecover is on the order of magnitude of twenty minutes. The manufacturingprocess utilizes fewer materials, and creates waste that can berecycled. Accordingly, the manufacturing process is less costly and moreenvironmentally benign over the manufacturing process for fiberglass bedcovers.

[0018] Further features and advantages of the present invention, as wellas the structure and operation of various embodiments of the presentinvention, are described below in detail with reference to theaccompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form apart of the specification, illustrate the embodiments of the presentinvention and together with the description, serve to explain theprinciples of the invention. In the drawings:

[0020]FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of the top of a truck bedcover of the present invention;

[0021]FIG. 2 illustrates a right plan view of the truck bed cover;

[0022]FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of the bottom of the truckbed cover of the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0023]FIG. 4 illustrates a section view taken along section line 4-4 ofFIG. 3 of the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0024]FIG. 5 illustrates a bottom plan view of a schematic of the firstembodiment arrangement of structural support members shown in FIG. 3;

[0025]FIG. 6 illustrates a schematic of a third alternative arrangementof structural support members of the bottom of truck bed cover;

[0026]FIG. 7 illustrates a schematic of a fourth alternative arrangementof structural support members of the bottom of truck bed cover;

[0027]FIG. 8 illustrates a schematic of a fifth alternative arrangementof structural support members of the bottom of truck bed cover;

[0028]FIG. 9 illustrates a schematic of a sixth alternative arrangementof structural support members of the bottom of truck bed cover; and

[0029]FIG. 10 illustrates a schematic of a seventh alternativearrangement of structural support members of the bottom of truck bedcover.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0030] Referring to the accompanying drawings in which like referencenumbers indicate like elements, FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 show various aspects ofa truck bed cover, shown generally at 10. Truck bed cover 10 has a topside shown generally at 12, a front side shown generally at 14, a rightside shown generally at 16, a rear side (not fully) shown at 18, a leftside shown generally at 20, and a bottom side shown generally at 22. Asseen in the profile of top side in FIG. 3, top side 12 is rounded fromfront side 14 to rear side 18. As is also evident from the ability toview top side 12 above right side 16, top side 12 is rounded from rightside 16 to left side 20. This is further demonstrated by the centerlineof top side 12 in FIG. 1. This rounding prevents accumulation ofmoisture on cover 10 in the form of rain, snow, or ice.

[0031]FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3.As is more clearly seen in FIG. 4, truck bed cover 10 comprises topcover shown generally at 28 and support structure shown generally at 30.The term “support structure” 30 is synonymous with the term “supportbase 30”. Top cover 28 and support structure 30 may be made from aplastic material, preferably a thermoplastic material, and mostpreferably from ABS plastic. It is preferred that top cover 28 be madefrom virgin ABS plastic and that support structure 30 be made fromreground, utility-grade ABS plastic.

[0032] Support structure 30 has a plurality of recessed areas 32.Support structure 30 is joined to top cover 28 at a plurality ofrecessed areas 32 that are best illustrated in FIG. 3. Joinder ofsupport structure 30 with top cover 28 may be accomplished by joiningtechnologies such as adhesive bonding, solvent bonding, thermal welding,ultrasonic welding, urethane foam adhesive, or any other type of joiningtechnology for joining thermoplastics together, or any combination ofthe joining technologies.

[0033] As seen in FIG. 3, support structure 30 includes a plurality ofintegrally formed support members shown generally at 34 which formfirst, second, third, and fourth x-shaped support elements, at 36, 38,40, and 42, respectively, each being disposed in a quadrant of supportstructure 30. Quadrants are preferred in order to keep the unsupportedarea on top side 12 to a minimum. Thus, a plurality of x-shaped supportelements 36, 38, 40, and 42 respectively are connected, and unitarilyformed with said support structure 30.

[0034] It should be noted that a fifth x-shaped support element 43extends diagonally from corner to corner between the four cornerslocated on the perimeter of support structure 30. The diagonal elementsof support element 43 intersect at hub 24. At minimum, this singlex-shaped support element 43 is needed (as shown in FIG. 6). Supportelement 43 is unitarily formed (i.e., without requiring the use of aseparate mechanical fastening means such as a screw, rivet, adhesive, orencapsulation) with and from the same material as support structure 30.

[0035] Additional support elements include three horizontal elements 66,68 and 70 and three longitudinal elements 72, 74, and 76.

[0036] The x-shaped support elements 36, 38, 40 and 42, respectively,will now be examined in further detail in the following example. Firstsupport member 44 has a first longitudinal axis 46. Second supportmember 48 has a second longitudinal axis 50. First longitudinal axis 46intersects with second longitudinal axis 50 at an angle α measuredclockwise from first longitudinal axis 46. Angle α may measure fromapproximately thirty to one hundred fifty degrees, preferably sixty toone hundred twenty degrees. Most preferably, angle α is ninety degrees.

[0037] The support elements 36, 38, 40 and 42 respectively provide aremarkable amount of strength to top side 12 from vertical loading.

[0038] A key feature of any x-shaped support element is that it extendsdiagonally within a defined quadrangle area. While corner-to-cornercoverage is preferred, it is also possible that an x-shaped supportelement will simply extend from side-to-side without necessarilyreaching the furthest point on of any side, namely the corners. Top side12 may also be provided with a recess 56 for a handle 58 as shown inFIG. 1. Bottom side 22 may be provided with guides 60 for retaining bar62 which is connected to handle 58.

[0039] In manufacturing top cover 28 and support structure 30, eachpiece is formed. Preferably top cover 28 is made from virgin ABS whilesupport structure 30 is made from reground utility-grade ABS, althoughany thermoplastic may be used for top cover 28 and support structure 30.Then top cover 28 and support structure 30 is joined or bonded to theother around the perimeter. It should be noted that if urethane foamadhesive is used, additional structural integrity may result. Afterjoinder, bed cover 10 is trimmed with a trim saw, router, or othertrimming tool. Then, edging, gaskets, and ABS backplates 64 may be fixedto bottom side 22. Alternatively, a ridge may be formed along the edgeof cover 10 that has the appearance of edge trim, but functions toeliminate the need for providing edge trim separately thereby furtherreducing cost.

[0040] The entire manufacturing process may be performed in less than 20minutes, with cover 10 being of a stiff material, double wallconstruction, single piece (one without sections hinged together) coverhaving a weight of less than 75 pounds. The term “stiff” refers to anon-fabric material such as ABS plastic. The double wall construction isimportant because it provides enhanced structural strength and rigidityby permitting the use of support structure 30.

[0041] Thus, a truck bed cover 10 is described and shown having an upperwall joined to a lower wall, wherein the lower wall structurallysupports the upper wall, and wherein the upper wall and lower wall areboth made from a thermoplastic material.

[0042]FIG. 5 illustrates the arrangement of structural members of thefirst embodiment discussed above in a schematic form.

[0043] FIGS. 6-10 illustrate schematics of alternative arrangements ofstructural support members of support structure 30. Thus, FIGS. 6-10represent alternate embodiments of structural support 32 with respect toplacement of structural support members, but hold in common all otheraspects of the first embodiment such as the methods for manufacturing,the materials, the unitary formation, the recessed areas and the joinderwith top cover 28. It should be noted that in each of the alternativeembodiments, structural support members are placed about the perimeterof support structure 30.

[0044]FIG. 6 illustrates an x-shaped support element 43 that extendsdiagonally from corner to corner between the four corners located on theperimeter of support structure 30. The diagonal elements of supportelement 43 intersect at hub 24. The perimeter comprises further supportelements.

[0045]FIG. 7 illustrates an x-shaped support element 80 in conjunctionwith a center horizontal support element 82, intersecting at hub 24. Theperimeter comprises further support elements.

[0046]FIG. 8 illustrates the use of two x-shaped support elements 90, 92separated by horizontal support element 94. The perimeter comprisesfurther support elements.

[0047]FIG. 9 illustrates two x-shaped support elements 100, 102 withcenter horizontal support element 104, and center longitudinal supportelement 106. The perimeter comprises further support elements.

[0048]FIG. 10 illustrates two x-shaped support elements 110, 112 withthree horizontal support elements, 114, 116, and 118. The perimetercomprises further support elements.

[0049] In view of the foregoing, it will be seen that the severalobjects of the invention are achieved and other advantages are attained.The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain theprinciples of the invention and its practical application to therebyenable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention invarious embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to theparticular use contemplated. As various modifications could be made inthe constructions and methods herein described and illustrated withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention, it is intended that allmatter contained in the foregoing description or shown in theaccompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative rather thanlimiting.

[0050] Thus, the breadth and scope of the present invention should notbe limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, butshould be defined only in accordance with the following claims appendedhereto and their equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A truck bed cover comprising: a top cover; asupport structure fixed to said top cover having a support elementforming an x-shape.
 2. A truck bed cover according to claim 1, whereinsaid support element is integrally formed with said support structure.3. A truck bed cover according to claim 1, wherein said supportstructure further comprises a plurality of x-shaped support elements. 4.A truck bed cover according to claim 3, wherein said plurality ofx-shaped support elements comprises four.
 5. A truck bed cover accordingto claim 4, wherein each of said four x-shaped support elements isdisposed in a quadrant of said support base.
 6. A support structure fora truck bed cover comprising: a first support member having a firstlongitudinal axis; a second support member having a second longitudinalaxis, wherein said first longitudinal axis and said second longitudinalaxis intersect at an angle, measured clockwise from said firstlongitudinal axis, of between thirty and one hundred fifty degrees.
 7. Asupport structure for a truck bed cover according to claim 6, whereinsaid angle is ninety degrees.
 8. A support structure for a truck bedcover according to claim 6, further comprising: a support baseintegrally formed with said first support member and said second supportmember.
 9. A support structure for a truck bed cover according to claim8, wherein said support base is adapted for joining a truck bed cover.10. A support structure for a truck bed cover comprising: a supportbase; a plurality of x-shaped support elements connected to said base.11. A support structure for a truck bed cover according to claim 10,wherein said support base and said plurality of x-shaped support membersare integrally formed.
 12. A truck bed cover comprising: a top covermade from a first stiff material; a support structure made from a secondstiff material and permanently joined to said top cover to produce adouble-walled bed cover; and wherein said truck bed cover has a weightof less than 75 pounds.
 13. The truck bed cover of claim 12, whereinsaid first stiff material is thermoplastic.
 14. The truck bed cover ofclaim 13, wherein said thermoplastic material is virgin ABS plastic. 15.The truck bed cover of claim 12, wherein said second stiff material isthermoplastic.
 16. The truck bed cover of claim 15, wherein saidthermoplastic material is reground, utility-grade ABS plastic.